


seven lights

by 1nterlaced



Category: Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-04-30 11:16:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14495766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1nterlaced/pseuds/1nterlaced
Summary: different relationships in mermaid melody based on the greek types of love!!





	1. philia, sincere/platonic love

     Rina's late for class. She'd found an inlet recently where the waves roll quietly, and the water laps gently at the rocks- beautiful at dusk or dawn, but she does get lost in her thoughts quickly, and the sound of home doesn't help.

She comes in, apologizes quickly to the teacher, and pulls out her literature book. Daichi, Kaito's friend, whispers quickly next to her, " We're on page 903. "

Rina nods, thanking him and opens to the page. She snorts not-so-quietly when she reads the title, and the teacher looks at her pointedly, lips pursed in annoyance.

" Touin-san! Would you please read for the class? "

She stands, careful to keep a straight face. She always was a fan of irony. 

" Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower and as clear as crystal ... "

 

 

 

Hanon and Lucia ask her to go to a crêpe store near the train station, but she can't resist going back to the inlet again after school. That morning had been the most relaxing start of the day she'd had in a long time. She drops off her things back at her apartment, happy at having found a place the water demons haven't stained with their presence. With the kingdoms in danger, and the seas out of balance, the inlet is a safe haven- for now, she thinks.

She'll enjoy it while she can.

She'd found the inlet by accident one weekend, while she was taking a quick swim around the area to calm herself. Hanon and Lucia loved the human world and all its crêpes, and though she liked some parts of it, (she thinks back fondly to the plasma in her apartment) it would never compare to the sea.  
Sighing, she lets her human form go with a splash of seawater and a soft glow from her pearl. The breeze brings a slight chill to the air that reminds her of the North Atlantic, and she hums softly, melodies she often heard as a child, wordless and all the more beautiful for it.

It's been a while since she sang for the sake of singing.

 

 

 

 

" Bye, Kaito! "

Kaito nods at them, smiling as Hanon drags Lucia off to the new crêpe store by the station. He'll skip out on surfing today, he decides. The water runs cold more often lately, and though that usually wouldn't bother him, it just feels.. off.

Instead, he heads for the inlet he's been going to since he was a child. The water there is mild- it gives him time to sit and just think, the sound of the waves washing away his worries as the night passes.

 

 

 

He nears, shoes padding quietly against the rocks that connect the shore to the sea, the smell of sea salt growing stronger as he weaves his way through the rocks.

He hears a voice, nostalgic and wind-carried, and rushes at the thought that it might be _her_ \- the mermaid. They see each other more often than ever before, but it's still not enough.

 

 

 

He doesn't recognize her. He stares at her, shocked at her tail, but at nothing else. Rina stares back, not speaking. She doesn't know what to say.

" I'm sorry- I thought- " He trips on his words, staring wide-eyed at her like a stunned sardine.

Her heart is pounding, waiting for the façade to fade away- for the recognition to light up his eyes, for- anything. Rina is frozen, her hand clutching at the rock she'd perched herself on, her tail half submerged under the water; she doesn't know what she's waiting for.

She shifts, suddenly uncomfortable, aching to get back into the water.

" Don't go! I want to talk- please. " He takes a step forward, not having wanted to startle her. She doesn't want to leave, either.

" I'm Kaito. Dōmoto Kaito. "

She looks over at him, surprised. She knew his name, but he'd never formally introduced himself to her on land- back then, she remembers regretfully, she'd had him mixed up for Gaito.

He sits next to her, legs crossed as the sea breeze tussles his hair.

" What's your name? "

She looks away from him, sighing lightly at the sea and at her luck. " ... It's beautiful here. I found this place by chance. "

He takes the hint, and responds, eager. " I come a lot. Not a lot of people know about it. "

 " What do you like about it? "

He nods, smiles at her, but not for her. " It helps my mood, I think. I've always felt a connection to the sea. Probably not as much as you, though. " He looks good, face alight with laughter and the sunset's glow caressing his skin. 

 

" I know a girl, from the ocean- I've seen her here, too. She's beautiful, and we've known each other for a long time. She's saved my life more than once. "

Her heart stops.

" Do you know her? " He looks at her expectantly- hopeful, that she might know something about his beloved mermaid. She does, of course, but she thinks it better not to comment.

After a moment of silence, she shakes her head slowly. " I'm not from around here. I wouldn't know her. "

He nods, sincere. Understanding. " You know, you remind me of a classmate of mine. She's quiet, too, but she's not that bad once you get to know her. "

She hums, feigning nonchalance. She runs her hand over a groove in the rock, carefully faces away from him and to the sea.

" Who is she? "

The words come spilling out his mouth, surprised that she's continued the conversation for this long. (She's just as surprised as he is.)  
" She has this sort of lone wolf vibe, but I think it's just a cover-up. She cares about her friends a lot. "

 

 

  
She lets the silence reign on after that, her chest aching. Lucia and Hanon would be expecting a phone call from her, soon. In the back of her mind, she admits she doesn't want to leave.

" It's strange- I don't usually get to talk to the other mermaid very much. But, being here is kind of relaxing, y'know? "

He lays back, arms behind his head and sighs. " The sea is beautiful this time of day. It reminds me of her, too. "

Against her common sense, she leans over him, hair spilling over her shoulder and onto his shirt. She takes a good look at him, and him at her- green meets hazel, burning emotion and anguish looking deeply into- confusion. She doesn't know what to do- she can't offer him help, give her name- not with the legend looming over them, threatening to wrap them in a veil of seafoam, never to be seen again.

 

The sea breeze is making her eyes water if you ask her. " It is, isn't it? "

He blinks up at her, about to speak, but she interrupts suddenly. Enough. " I have to go. it was nice meeting you, Dōmoto Kaito. "

She moves away from him quietly, and he sits up, confused at the conversation being cut off so quickly. He grabs her arm before she can jump back into the water.

" -- Are you okay? "

" I have to go back to my friends. It's late. " She thinks of Lucia, bright-eyed and always looking to her for advice about this very boy. Her heart clenches at her own misfortune, her selfishness.

Kaito nods, hesitant. He lets go of her arm, and waves lightly at her. " It was nice meeting you too. "

She takes one last look at him, and dives back into the waves, letting the warm waters of the Pacific calm her heart.

 

 

 

 

" Sorry I'm late! I'd forgotten about the sleepover until a little while ago. "

She removes her shoes at the entrance to what has been dubbed by Hanon to be their "sleepover extravaganza suite" in Pearl Piari. Lucia gasps.

" Rina! What happened to your foot? "

She blinks at them, confused, then looks back down at the bandage wrapped carefully around her foot.

" Oh- " She shrugs. " I cut my foot on some glass on my way home. It doesn't hurt that much, though. "

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the excerpt she reads in class is the very beginning is the little mermaid by christian andersen! in the original story, the mermaid gives up her tail for legs and feet that bleed with every step she takes. she jumps back into the sea at the end, dissolving into seafoam because she doesn't want to hurt the prince and his wife.  
> i love rina and kaito but im glad they didn't end up together! i like their dynamic a lot tbh- oh and i might write something that shows their relationship later on in the show- separate from this, though. 
> 
> also i love this setting! its from like the first few eps where lucia tries to sing to him so he can realize quickly but she sings really badly and gets embarrassed and runs home. queen


	2. ludus, playful love

 

Noel remembers exactly when it starts.

They're older than Rina and her friends. The only thing holding back Coco's coronation as queen was having to rebuild her kingdom, and she and Caren were only a few months behind her in age. They have more freedom, she knows, but with that freedom comes more responsibility than the other girls have yet to experience in their kingdoms. They've defeated Gaito, and now, all princesses must return to their oceans and begin again- a new conception, with Aqua Regina fully revived as the goddess of the seas, and them working to keep the seas united. (Noel prays that Aqua Regina will be aiding them in their mission.)

Coco stops suddenly on the way to the North Pacific palace, where they've decided to rest before deciding their next destination. (With five out of seven kingdoms in need of rebuilding and their mermaids scattered, it's not like they had much of a choice.) Noel listens intently, partly out of respect for their now eldest royalty, and partly out of curiosity. Coco had been excited about returning to mermaid country, but she seemed .. solemn. 

" I think that I'm going to stop along the girls' kingdoms and- help organize. They did a lot for us, saving us from Gaito ... and ... " She trails off, silent for a moment before Noel realizes who she's struggling to mention- she had mentioned her close relationship with the Indian Ocean princess. Former Indian Ocean princess. 

 

Coco clears her throat, regaining her composure before continuing. " Helping us save Sara. I want to repay them. "

Noel nods, emotion overcoming her as she swims closer and takes her hands in hers. " Of course. Rina told me that most of the mermaids have been scattered. Most are taking shelter in Lucia's palace right now-"

Caren clears her throat, interrupting them. " And mine. Plenty of South Atlantic mermaids took refuge in the palace- there are South Pacific mermaids there, too. They need a home to get back to."  The both of them turn to her, their hands slipping away as Noel smiles sweetly at her newfound sister. 

 

" W-What? Someone has to take responsibility for those three- they did just help us bring back Aqua Regina. " 

 

Coco beams, a sudden burst of energy overtaking her. Pumping her fist in the air, she exclaims- " Alright then! Operation three princesses rebuilding the seas is a go. "

Noel chuckles, and Caren shakes her head next to her. Just like Lucia- it must be a Pacific thing. " Aqua Regina help us- there's still another 50 miles to the palace, Coco! " 

" That's nothing! Pacific mermaids have a lot of energy, y'know? Vitality, and hope and all of that. " She fans out her fins at them, her smile as bright as the sunlight above them- Noel feels the water get knocked out of her. _Oh._  

Caren snorts, and grabs her and Coco by the arm, pulling them along. " C'mon, you two- if I stop again, I'm not gonna want to keep going. "

 

\--

 

Coco isn't entirely sure when it starts. She's flirty by nature, and sure, she's noticed Noel is pretty- how does someone's hair even get that silky in seawater, anyways!?- but she never expected her to start flirting _back_. 

 

Coco stares at the mirror, anxious to get started with the preparations for her speech to the people. They're at Lucia's palace, and things have gone smoothly so far- they've met with Lucia's advisors, and even found royal advisors from different kingdoms. The look of relief on her face when her chief advisor, Hikaru, greeted her was a sight to behold, she was sure. Now, they have to present the plans they've been making over these past few weeks to the people, and it's the last moment she should be tripping over her own fins, but she is. 

 A timid knock on the door pulls her out of her thoughts.

 

" Noel? " She feels herself smile despite her stress- seeing the other princess did tend to put her in a good mood, though she didn't like to think on _why_ for too long.

Noel smiles lightly back at her. " Coco- How are you? I wanted to check up on you, since your speech is today. " She looks around the room, at the big mirror Coco's placed herself in front of. " These are Lucia's preparation chambers, right? "

Coco nods. Right- the speech." I just .. needed a moment to myself. " 

" I can leave, if you still need it- I just came to check on you. " She clasps her hands together behind her back and swims over to the desk. " Are you alright? "

Coco sighs, pausing for a moment. Is she?

 

" Yeah. I'm just a little nervous- I'm just used to giving speeches to smaller crowds. The North Pacific is so big- not to mention the people from different kingdoms. "

Noel nods. " My kingdom was small, too. Caren and I were talking about that earlier, since we'll probably be next to address the people. We were wondering if we could go on together since we're twin kingdoms."

She laughs at that- the Southern and Northern kingdoms were twin seas, meant to symbolize balance, but she'd always found it funny how this time their princesses were twins, too. " It'd be fitting, huh? Though, the people might like it a lot- they go crazy every time I show up around the palace, I can't imagine how much they'd love seeing the two of you. " 

Noel nods, laughing quietly. "Maybe. If that's where we're at with our plans, though, I'm sure you'll do fine today. " 

" I hope so- it's just .. "

 

Coco toys with the pendant around her neck- the symbol of their strength as royalty. " Do you think I'll be a good queen? "

Noel blinks at the sudden question. She did come in to check on her, but she wasn't expecting her to be doubting her birthright behind the door. 

" I'm sorry, that was a dumb question- "

" No, no-! It's okay. " Noel sits on the seat next to her, a concerned look on her face.

 

" I- I asked myself the same thing, back then. I hadn't met any of the other princesses besides Rina, and she was so confident. " Noel pauses, considering her next words carefully. "I was ... unsure of myself, but I didn't let it affect my rule. You second guess yourself a lot in the beginning, because you've never done things like it before- but before you know it, it's second-nature. " 

Coco looks up at her, her eyes slightly wide as yellow meets deep blue. " Noel- I... "

" You worrying about it shows that you care. You're going to be a great queen, Coc- Oh! " She barely has time to finish her sentence before Coco wraps her arms around her tight, her head buried in her shoulder. 

 

" Leave it up to a pretty face like yours to cheer me up at a time like this, Noel! " She loosens her grip on the other princess but doesn't let go completely. She looks beautiful, her cheeks flushed and her hair pulled back by one of the signature seashell barrettes the Pacific is famous for. Coco likes seeing her like this, close to _her_. " You're the best. "

Noel tilts her head to the side a bit, her bangs swaying in the water and framing her face. _Oh_. "Whenever you need it. " Slowly, she pulls herself from Coco's hold. She doesn't want to go, but Coco's due to give her speech in a few moments time, and Lucia's advisors aren't really known for respecting privacy. 

 

" I think you're pretty, too. A face fit for royalty. " 

Coco sputters, hyper-aware of her heart beating in her chest. _Goodness_. " I-I'm glad. " Noel smiles at her, light and sweet, and Coco wonders how long she's going to be able to keep this up without her chest bursting.  " Noel, I- "

 

" -Coco! Kaori's sending for you. She says it's almost time for you to give your- Oh, Noel. " Caren stops in front of the door she'd opened, tilting her head in surprise. " I thought you were in the gardens. "

Noel shakes her head at the comment. She'd just meant to drop in, but- " I just came to wish Coco good luck before the speech. " She smiles innocently at Caren, putting a hand on Coco's shoulder as she passes by her. " Good luck! " 

Coco nods, her cheeks as pink as coral, watching as Noel leaves. The door closes behind her, and Caren speaks.

 

" What was that all about? "

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they're cute i luv.. also i might do another batch like these!! i like this a lot even if i'm kinda slow to update oof.. but yeah! i already have these planned out so there's some couples i won't be able to do, so in the next set i'd be doing those couples
> 
> also i would take requests for couples omg. gdfsg i've been meaning to say that, but i forget everytime i publish! so yes, for these i'll be taking requests and then they'll be in the next batch of fics. nice


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